


you're so golden

by thedreamsteam



Category: 1917 (Movie 2019)
Genre: (also williams wife isn't his wife in this aight), Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Angst, Bookstores, Coming Out, Fluff, Getting Together, Kissing, M/M, Play Fighting, i make my own oc's and then just fall in love with them huh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:35:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23550166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thedreamsteam/pseuds/thedreamsteam
Summary: Tom knows the regulars at his coffee shop. There’s Lauri, the french girl who smiles at him and thanks him softly whenever he brings her her order of coffee with milk and some sugar. Then there’s Harry, a blonde boy who just always asks him for something he recommends. Then there’s Peter, a teenager who always comes in early every morning to talk to him and get some coffee before heading to school. Don’t tell Lauri or Harry, but he’s his favorite.Someone new comes in today, though.or,Tom works at a coffee shop
Relationships: Joseph Blake & William Schofield, Joseph Blake/Lieutenant Leslie, Lauri/William Schofield's Wife, Tom Blake & William Schofield, Tom Blake/William Schofield
Comments: 16
Kudos: 54





	you're so golden

**Author's Note:**

> me: never listened to green day except for like 5 songs  
> also me: how about i have will listen to them
> 
> yet again,,, sorry to stasia i talked about a bunch of white boys while making this (thtas why this is dedicated to you)
> 
> also!! dedicated to the 2nd devons server because they helped me with this like BUNCH ~~and made me cry over cute shit~~
> 
> i started this april 4 and somehow wrote 8k in like 24 hours so?? dont ask how this got done so quickly 
> 
> i also started hamlet while writing this so if it sounds weird im sorry
> 
> title is from harry styles song 'golden' bc that's just the mood we goin for babeyyy

Tom knows the regulars at his coffee shop. There’s Lauri, the french girl who smiles at him and thanks him softly whenever he brings her her order of coffee with milk and some sugar. Then there’s Harry, a blonde boy who just always asks him for something he recommends. Then there’s Peter, a teenager who always comes in early every morning to talk to him and get some coffee before heading to school. Don’t tell Lauri or Harry, but he’s his favorite.

Someone new comes in today, though. That shouldn’t be shocking, but the man is absolutely gorgeous. He’s walked in with Harry, laughing at something the older man said, and if he hadn’t had already been told by Harry he was an only child, he would’ve thought that they were brothers. Not identical, of course, but there was just something in the way that they walked and the way that he gestured that made him think it.

Harry comes up to the counter, and Tom ignores the grin as he raises a cup. Harry nods, and he starts on the drink, trying to fight the blush beginning to form on his face. He can tell Harry already knows, can tell that’s why he’s up for here, so he tries to ignore him the best he can and just makes his drink. It’s silent in the shop, except for the sound of the music softly playing over the speakers. Focusing on that calms him, and the blush has disappeared from his face entirely by the time he finishes with the drink. Harry grins, though, and it almost returns. Almost being the key word, because he fights it.

“It’s just a simple coffee today, because you look like you need it.” He says, and Harry laughs. “You know it’s true.”

“Yeah, yeah, of course I do.” Harry grins, giving him a couple single bills. “I feel like Will is gonna come up to order soon, so don’t be too surprised if he orders a single black coffee, alright?”

“What?” Tom starts, surprised. “Why would someone do that to himself?”

“He has a paper due in about two and a half hours that he forgot to do.” Harry grins, clapping him on the shoulder. “You’ll probably want to get it ready in about 10 minutes.”

Sure enough, 12 minutes later (not that Tom’s counting or anything) Will comes up to the counter to order a small black coffee. He lets Will pay for it before handing him the large coffee, smiling at the shock on his face.

“I paid for a small, though, you can’t let me have this!” He tries to argue, trying to hand it back, but Tom refuses, putting his hands down on the counter.

“It’s on the house, alright? Harry tells me that you need it, badly.” Will smiles at that, and Tom counts it as a win in his book. “Just take it. You’re gonna need it if you want to complete that essay.” Will sighs, but he takes the coffee and heads back to where Harry is, sitting in a booth at the far back, so he’s glad.

When they leave about four hours later, Tom’s still stuck behind the counter, trying to read a book before he leaves. He hears a cough in front of him, and when he looks up from where he’s sat on a stool, leaning down on the counter, Will’s on the other side, and he thinks he sees a smile before he snaps his book shut, leaning up.

“Yes! Sorry, is there anything you need?” He asks, and Will smiles at that, shaking his head.

“I just wanted to thank you, for giving me that large when you didn’t have to. You should’ve told me that you had already pre made it, so that I could’ve paid for a large instead of a small.”

“It wasn’t a problem, really.” Tom says, looking down. “You just needed it really badly, so I made it.”

“Can I at least pay you back for it?” Will tries, and Tom shakes his head.

“The only thing I can accept are tips.” He says with a grin, and Will just sighs, but he’s smiling, and he pulls out his wallet. “Wait, I was kidding-”  
  
“Well you said the only thing you can accept are tips,” Will hands him a $10, and even though it’s not that much, he still looks up at him shocked, “So that’s what I will be giving you.”  
  
“No, I can’t-“ He starts, but Will walks away before he can finish, waving as he leaves the shop. The bell rings as he stares at the bill, and he mutters out a small curse as he buries his hands in his eyes. He’s already got it deep, huh?

“So, you’re a prostitute now?” He startles, staring up at Lauri, who’d apparently walked over and seen the entire thing happen. Her words register then, and he laughs, before finally going _what_ to her question. “I presume he was giving you money for another reason, unless you finally got a tip, which I wouldn’t expect in this economy.” She grins, and he smiles, shaking his head.

“No, he gave me a tip. Why would even think of the prostitute thing? What?” He asks again, and she just grins wider.

“I knew saying something weird like that would make you laugh.” He smiles at that, because she was right.

“Do you need another drink or something?” He asks, trying to steer the conversation away, and she taps her chin, looking up at the board.

“How about a white chocolate mocha?” She asks, and he nods, ringing up for a large before she can even say it. She starts to, but he cocks an eyebrow and she grins, closing her mouth. “How do you know what I’ll say before I even say it?”  
  
“I don’t know.” He grins, waiting as she pays. “It must be my superpower or something.”

“What? You being good at something?” She says, and he lightly shoves her. “That’s actually super shocking!”

“Shut up.” He says, but the smile on his face betrays him.

“Alright, alright!” She raises her hands up. “Just bring my drink over to my booth, alright? I gotta finish typing something up before I forget.”

“Anything for you, queen.” He says, turning to finally start on her drink. Lauri’s laugh carries through the shop, and he smiles to himself. Anything to get her to smile.

He knows the order so easily that he can go auto-pilot, thinking about what he needs to do after this. He knows he shouldn’t be reading his book, but he’s really enjoying it, so maybe he should try to finish it before another customer comes in? At least, try to finish it before he closes shop today.

He finishes the drink, and he draws a heart on the side of the cup before moving towards Lauri’s booth. 

-

“Hello?” A rough voice interrupts the silence, and he looks up from his book to find an older man at the counter, a beanie covering his hair as he leans down on the hard surface. He looks familiar, and he almost places the face but the man speaks again, and he has to focus on what he’s saying instead. “I was uh, wondering if I could order?”

“Yeah, yeah, of course!” He closes his book, discreetly marking the place as he moves towards the cups. “What size?”

“Uh, whatever the large is?” The man says questioningly, and he chuckles, grabbing the largest. “Can I get a coffee that’s as black as my soul?”

Tom stifles a laugh at that, trying to pull his features back into something normal. He writes the word pink on the cup, but makes sure Leslie can’t see it yet. It’s so he won’t forget in the few moments between ringing him up and starting on the drink. He asks him for his name, and writes it on the cup. Leslie pays for the coffee he thinks he’s gonna get, and goes to sit down as Tom starts on the drink. Tom’s thankful, because that doesn’t give him any chance of seeing the drink before it’s ready.

He starts on it, though, and it’s done before he’s ready to give it to the man. He was able to distract himself from thinking about all the situations that can happen in the next few minutes by only thinking about his next movement, making sure to make it right, but now his next move is to call out his name and put the drink on the counter. His mind can’t help but go through all the possible scenarios that could happen, though. Leslie could shout at him, throw the drink in his face, report him to his boss, or something worse. He could do any of those things, or he could have something in his pocket or carry something worse. His mind can only conjure the worse scenarios, but with the way Leslie looks, it’s not the impossible.

He grips the cup, though, and tells himself it’ll be alright, and sets it down on the counter and calls out his name. He sets a straw down beside it, and he moves back towards his place, with his book marked on the page he was at, and opens it up, trying to ignore the man that’s walked up to get his drink. He can’t help but hear the man mutter, “What the bloody fuck is this?” He small smile comes into his face, but if Leslie comes over and shouts at him for that, he can act like it’s from the book.

Knuckles rap the counter in front of him, and when he looks up, Leslie’s standing there with his pink drink in one hand and the other resting on the counter.

“What the fuck is this?” The man asks before he can say anything, and he keeps his face straight, but on the inside, he’s panicking.

“Well, you told me to give you a coffee as black as your soul, and you don’t seem like the kind to have a black soul, and I didn’t want to give you straight white coffee, so I thought it’d be better to give you that, so that you’d get a better, pinkier drink instead of just milk.” His mouth rushes the words out before he can stop, and he’s messing with the rings on his hands, needing something to do, something to help his nervousness.

Except, Leslie laughs, then. Nobody else in the shop to pay him any mind, so it’s only Tom who gets to see this.

“You’re braver than I would’ve thought.” He says, before a confused look came over his face. “Wait a minute, then why’d you make me pay for a coffee?”

“It was cheaper.” He shrugged. Leslie seemed to consider that for a moment, before shrugging as well and walking away. His mind finally realizes why the man looked so familiar and he can’t stop himself before he’s calling out a question, asking if he goes to the college that isn’t that far away. Leslie turns, confused, and when he nods, he sighs. “Do you want my brother’s number?”

Even from this far away, he can see Leslie wrestling with himself, and he wants to take it back, because Leslie doesn’t speak for a moment, but then the man walks over and says sure. “Who is your brother?” He asks while Tom finds a sharpie.

“Joseph Blake.” He replies, finally finding the sharpie he likes on the floor. When he comes back up, Leslie’s looking at him differently. “What?” He says, embarrassed.

“It’s just,” Leslie pauses, as if he’s trying to get all of his thoughts together before he speaks, “You two don’t seem like you’d be brothers. Don’t get me wrong! I can see how you two are related now that you’ve told me, but if I had to pick you out of a line for his brother, I think I would’ve picked a frog.”

“Gee, thanks.” He says sarcastically, but there’s no real pain behind it. Leslie seems to know this as well, because he doesn’t try to apologize when he takes the cup.

“Thanks.” Is all he says, and then he’s left the shop, leaving Tom alone with only the sound of Harry Styles playing.

-

His shift finally ends a few hours later, and he has to close the shop down before getting home. He lives with Joe, only because they both decided it’d be easier to pay and better so that they at least have a roommate that they know. So, he texts Joe to tell him he’ll be home soon. He usually comes home around this time anyways, so Joe's always expecting the texts.

He walks home, wrapping his coat tighter around him, and normally he would blame the shivering on the cold, but with what’s happened that day, he thinks it’s fair to say it might be because he gave out his brother's number without even asking first. So, his hands shake with the key, and he barely manages to get the key in without alerting his brother that he needs some help. (If he’s being honest, he always needs help, but that’s just him.)

Joe’s in his room, though, so he falls onto the couch and pulls a blanket over himself, turning on the TV. He starts Star Trek, and he’s nearly finished the first episode when Joe finally comes out. He stops when he sees Tom, though, his phone loose in his hand.

“When’d you get home?” He asks, and Tom chuckles, pulling out his phone.

“About a hour ago.” Joe sighs, but he walks past him and into the kitchen, where Tom can hear him messing around in the fridge. Probably trying to find their bread again, which is what Tom threw out last night since mold had formed all over it without Joe ever noticing. He waits, and sure enough Joe calls out to him, asking where the hell their bread is. “Threw it out last night!” He replies, and Joe doesn’t even pause before asking why the hell did he do that. “It was moldy, you blind bastard.” Joe makes an offended noise, but he doesn’t try to say anything else, so Tom counts it as a win in his book.

Their microwave starts, and he just turns up the TV louder, because he _will_ get to the third episode before he sleeps, goddammit. He’s started the second episode by the time Joe finally walks into the living room, lifting up Tom’s legs so he can sit on the couch. Tom just rests his legs on Joe’s lap, and Joe uses it as a table, making sure his food won’t fall off. They watch Star Trek together, and they’re silent other than for a few times when Joe asks a question about something that’s happened in the previous episode. It’s nice, and a welcome change of pace from his day at work. The morning was busier than usual, and he could already feel some of the bruises forming on his hands and legs. With Joe, though, he can ignore it and just focus on the show.

However, he’s already slightly falling asleep. That’s a problem if he wants to get to the third episode isn’t it? Joe taps his legs, then, and when he looks at him, Joe just says if he finds him falling asleep, he’ll tap his leg. “I know you wanna get to the third episode before you sleep.” He shrugs, and Tom thanks him, still, no matter how much he’s acting like it isn’t that big of a deal.

They’re nearly to the end of the second episode, though, when Joe’s phone rings. He frowns at his phone, and lifts up his plate so Tom can move his legs. He answers his phone as he moves into the kitchen, and Tom almost unpauses the show, but he hears Joe’s confused voice say “Leslie?” and he freezes, fingers gripping the remote tight.

He waits with bated breath for Joe to speak again, and he doesn’t have to wait long before Joe’s speaking again, voice still confused. “How’d you get my number? Not that I’m complaining! I just.. I don’t remember ever having a chance to give it to you?”

He’s already throwing the cover off before Joe’s standing in the doorway, giving him a death glare. _I’m gonna kill you_ , he mouths, but he tells Leslie _Oh, that’s just what Tom does._ and leans against the door frame.

Slowly, Tom moves, and when Joe finally ends the call a few minutes later, he’s nearly at his door. He rushes into his room, but Joe runs in before he has a chance to close and lock it, trying to corner him in the corner of his room while calling him a stupid bitch, but Tom counters by yelling that he’s a bald bastard who’s gonna die alone, shoving him away.

“You can't kill me, bitch!” He nearly yells, ducking under Joe’s arms and running out of his room, almost tripping on a book left on the ground. Joe follows behind him, nearly shoving him when he almost falls, kicking him in the back and catching him when he trips over a towel left on the ground. They crash into the ground, Tom stuck underneath Joe, and they start laughing when they see each other’s wild hair, ruffled and standing up from the chasing. They laugh even harder when Tom tries to stand up and just falls back on Joe, shaking from their laughter.

“I can’t- I can’t _breathe_.” Tom finally gets out a moment later, and Joe nearly starts all over again. He holds back his laughter, though, and they just lay on the ground together for a few minutes, allowing Tom to catch his breath. Eventually, Joe is the first one to get up, putting a hand out for Tom to use. He pulls him up, and they collapse on the couch together, Tom starting to giggle again. They sit in the silence together, and Joe speaks after they’ve become comfortable, Tom resting his body on him.

“Why did you give Leslie my number?” He looks down at his younger brother, and Tom just shrugs.

“I always heard you talking about how much you wished you had asked him for his number, and it wasn’t until he was nearly leaving that I finally figured out his face, so I was like ‘I might as well take a chance for Joe’ and so I asked him if he wanted your number.” He says, yawning, and Joe grabs the blanket that’s to his right, pulling it over Tom. “And I was like, I already made him a pink drink when he clearly wanted a black coffee, so I have nothing else to lose. And then he agreed to it after I told him you were my brother!”

“Yeah, yeah.” Joe nods, and Tom’s eyes slip shut, even as he continues talking. “Well, thank you Tom. Now I have his number.”

“Course.” Tom mumbles. “I love you.”

“Love you too.” Tom falls asleep not too long after that, and it’s to the sound of Joe softly playing music, quietly singing along.

-

Tom wakes up the next morning to sunlight streaming in his room and the sound of a car honking in the streets, and he doesn’t know what else he expected to wake up to. The sound of birds chirping? Not here, of course.

He groans, stretching as he gets out of bed. His back hurts, presumably from when he hit the ground last night, and when he checks his legs, he can see the start of bruises forming. Hopefully he won’t start anymore today. His bed creaks as he gets out, and he can hear the sound of coffee being made in the kitchen as he rustles around, looking for a clean shirt. He finds one after a moment, and he pulls it on as he steps out of his, taking care to not make too much noise as he can see his brother leaning on the counter, the bottle of headache pills open beside him. 

“Had a hard night?” He asks softly once he’s reached where Joe is, leaning against the wall, and Joe shakes his head, a small smile coming onto his face. “C’mon, I know you did. My back has the evidence to that.”

“Yeah, I had a rough night being your senior.” Joe chuckles, and Tom goes behind him, pulling the coffee out of the pot, pouring himself a cup. He makes his own before Joe can begin starting on his, walking back into their living room to sit back down on the couch. He still has some hours before he has to go into work, so he decides he might as well make the most of not having to work. So, the next couple of hours are just spent with him watching Star Trek on the tv, finishing two episodes before he finally pulls himself up, huffing.

30 minutes later, he’s in his job outfit, and accepting a lift from Joe, who has to go into town to grab some more milk and other essentials. They leave not too soon after, and he’s made sure he has everything in his bag about five times before they leave, but it’s only when they’ve arrived at the shop that he realizes he forgot his phone.

“Fuck, after you shop, can you get my phone and bring it back for me?” He asks Joe, and the man sighs but tells him he’ll probably be back with it in about an hour or two, so he doesn’t really have to wait _that_ long. “Thanks.” He says, hugging the man before rushing into the shop, trying to not forget to do anything this time.

Nearly a couple hours later is when Will walks in, hair fluffed as if he forgot to brush it and wearing the softest sweater Tom’s ever seen, coming straight up to the counter to ask for a drink. He’s putting in his order when his brother walks in, though, so he excuses himself for a moment to rush over to Joe.

“Your room is so fucking messy it took me a little bit to find it.” He tells him, pulling the phone out of his pocket. “I found your _old_ phone before I found this one.”

“Thank you, still.” He grins, leaving over the counter to hug him before finally moving back to where Will is, waiting with his cash in hand. He has a weird look on his face, and if he knew Will better, he’d say that he looks _jealous_. “So, I told you your total, right?”

“Yeah.” Will says, and Tom takes the cash, putting it in the register. Will coughs, and Tom doesn’t even look up from the register before Will speaks, clearly trying to sound casual. “So, that’s your boyfriend, huh?”

Tom’s breath gets caught in his throat, and he coughs, it a mixture between a noise of choking and laughing. Will looks concerned, but Tom starts laughing then, almost sinking down to the ground. He would’ve, if it wasn’t for the counter that he gets to lean on instead. Joe hasn’t even left the shop, and he can feel his concerned stare on him, but he can't even try to stop laughing. He can feel Will’s confused stare on him as well.

A minute later, he finally has enough air to even try to stop laughing, and when he’s finally able to face Will, he’s still chuckling.

“He’s not my boyfriend, Will.” He laughs again, getting the words out before breaking down again. “He’s my brother.”

“Oh, fuck.” Will says, face turning red as Joe walks over, just barely overhearing the conversation that’s gone on. “I’m _so_ sorry-”

“Will, mate, already I love you.” Joe interrupts before he can finish, causing Will’s face to turn even redder. “As soon as my annoying little brother finishes your drink, how about I show you around town, because I heard you the other day telling Leslie that you have no fucking clue about what’s going on in this town.”

“Uhh sure?” Will answers, somehow making his answer sound like a question. Joe just claps his shoulder and moves to sit at a table by the door, clearly just sitting to pass the time as he waits for Tom to get done.

“I’m sorry for him, but it is probably best that he takes you out to show you around.” Tom speaks as he works, easily knowing how to make the drink. “You’d probably get lost otherwise.”

“Yeah, true.” He can feel Will’s eyes on him for a moment, but when he looks back, Will’s staring at the decorations on the wall. “Here’s your drink! You better have fun while you’re out with Joe, or he’ll badger me for weeks and tell me that I have the worst regulars at my shop.”

Will chuckles, taking his coffee out of Tom’s hands as he opens a straw. “I’ll try to smile at least once where he can see it, then, and not try to hide them all away.”

“There ya go!” He says, and waves him away as Joe stands up, wiping his pants off. They start talking before they’re even out the door, and Tom can’t help but smile when he can already see Joe’s having a great time.

Harry comes in a few moments later, so he focuses on the blonde man, already smiling before he’s opened his mouth. There’s a grumpy look on his face, and Tom can’t help but to try and tease him about it.

“Lauri kicked me out of our apartment last night, so I had to go stay at Will’s.” He sighs dramatically, already pulling out his card as Tom types in his order. “She said her and Eleanor were having a ‘girl’s night’ and that I couldn’t be in there, so I had to frantically ask Will if I could stay the night, so now I have no clue if I can even go back tonight!”

“I mean, Lauri’s in her booth so you could probably ask?” He says, cocking an eyebrow in her direction. Harry turns, and he seems surprised to see her there, as if he had completely missed her when he walked in.

“Yeah, that’d probably work.” He says, swiping his card. “I’ll go talk to her, and then go to my usual booth, alright?”

“Yeah, that’ll work.” Tom replies, and as Harry moves to talk to her, he starts on the drink. Even though Harry didn’t ask him to (or even tell him his order, if he’s being honest) he makes the drink sweeter than usual, because even though Harry acted a little dramatic for him, he could tell he didn’t feel as good as he was letting on.

So, when he finally goes to Harry’s booth and finds him there, he slides him his coffee and a sweet treat. Harry looks up, and he doesn't even try to argue with Tom about how he didn’t pay for the treat, and he can’t tell if that’s because he’s used to Tom giving him free treats or because he’s tired enough that he doesn’t care, and Tom doesn’t know which one he wants to be right.  
  
“Do you need somewhere to stay?” He asks quietly a moment later, eyes tracking Lauri as she starts to pack up her stuff and leave.

“Just for a night.” Harry speaks in that soft way of his, voice usually sounding so loud even with that way, but now, in the coffee shop with Lauri walking out the door, he sounds so quiet. “I don’t want to make her mad at me, even though we both have no reason to be mad at each other, so I think I’ll just stay out for tonight. I’ll probably ask Will, because I really wanna see Marshmallow again.”

“Marshmallow?” Tom repeats, confused.

“Yeah, his cat.” Harry finally takes a bite of the sweet, and his voice sounds a little bit louder. “It’s ironic, though. She’s a black cat, but he insisted that the name was perfect for her.”

“I bet it is.” Tom says, but in his mind, all he can think of is that that fact has just been added to a growing list of reasons why he loves this man. “Will’s out with Joe, though, right now. Joe’s showing him around the city, because apparently he overheard him saying something the other day about how he doesn’t know his way around.”

Harry smiles at that, and even though he doesn’t really know why, Tom’s counting it as a win in his book.

“Oh, did I ever tell you that story of the time Joe nearly broke my back?”

“No?” Harry says, confused. “When the fuck did this happen?”

“Last night.” He grins, laughing when Harry shoves him.

“How the fuck did Joe nearly break your back, though?” Harry asks, his face even more confused than before.

“Because he kicked me.” Tom chuckles, that turning into a laugh when he sees Harry’s bewildered face.

“Your apartment is quite the party place, innit?” Harry says, elbowing him, and Tom grins.

“That’s the best part: our parties are just us sitting in pajamas watching Game of Thrones.”

“Valid.” Harry says, sipping out of his drink. “Have you ever thought about how similar Robb Stark and your brother look, though?”

-

“God, it was almost like he was a baby going out for the first time.” Joe sighs, tugging off his shoes. After spending nearly 6 hours out with the younger man, he was clearly tired, almost ready to collapse, but not quite.

“Has he never been in a city before?” Tom asks, incredulous as Joe disappears into his room.

“Apparently not!” He calls out, clearly waiting to continue so that Tom can hear him easier. When he comes back out, he’s in a t-shirt and sweatpants, throwing the hoodie in his hands at Tom. Tom pulls it on, grateful for the warmth. “He admitted that the largest place he lived in only had about a thousand people in it.”

“A thousand?” Tom exclaims, incredulous, and Joe nods, sitting down on the couch beside him. Instantly, Tom moves so he’s laying on the couch with his head in Joe’s lap, but the older man doesn’t act like he minds. “How the bloody hell do you live somewhere with only a thousand people?”

“Tom, the country exists, y’know.” Joe says, and Tom sighs, waving his hands about as he tries to defend himself.

“Yeah, but I wouldn’t have expected him to even live there.” Is what he finally settles on, hands resting on his chest. Joe brings a hand to mess with Tom’s hair, slowly relaxing the man.

“I mean, I can see where you’re coming from. With the way he looks, I would’ve expected him to live in a city for all his life, but he says this is the first time he’s really lived somewhere busy.” Joe finally says after a moment.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m always right, Joe. You know this.” He grins up at his brother, saying a soft ow when Joe lightly smacks him. “Can we continue with Star Trek? I never got to finish the third episode.”

“Oh, I thought it was a Game of Thrones night?” He questions, picking up the remote.

“I’m too tired to deal with all the growly voices tonight, and not even to mention what Harry brought up.” Tom brings a hand up to cover his eyes, the light suddenly bothering him.

“What’d he bring up?” Joe leans to the side to dim the lamp, and Tom shoots him a grateful look.

“He brings up the fact that you look like Robb Stark, and then proceeds to tell me that if he could, he’d bang Robb Stark like he bangs his drums.”

Joe laughs at that, taking care to not accidentally hurt Tom while doing so. Tom just pouts, but after a moment he’s laughing too, until they both stop, trying not to start again.

“It sounds better with me saying it, trust me.” Tom smiles, and Joe nods, telling him that he believes him. “At least we were the only two in the shop when he said it, because he didn’t hold back at all.”

“I love Harry.” Joe grins, and when Tom doesn’t say anything, he clicks play on Star Trek, pulling a cover up over Tom after the boy doesn’t say anything.

Tom falls asleep before the third episode is over. Again.

-

“When do you have a free day?” Will asks one day while he’s at the counter, waiting for Tom to ring his order in. Tom’s distracted then, lifting his head from where he’s staring at the screen, eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. It takes a moment for the words to process, and when they do, he just goes huh? “Like, when do you have a day off? I wanna hang out with you, because even though we tell each we’re best friends, we’ve never talked outside of this shop.” He adds before Tom can interrupt. 

“I got about half of the week off.” He says, typing in the order. “From Wednesday to Sunday, and then I work until Thursday, and then I’m off for a couple days. Would that work?”

“Oh yeah, definitely. I work from home, so whenever you’re free, so am I.”

Tom can feel a blush forming on his face, so he nods and moves away to start on the drink. He hopes Will will have disappeared back to his booth, so he can have time to try and put it down, but when he glances back Will’s still leaning against the counter. His face turns pink, and he looks back down, ignoring him the best he can. At times like this, he wished that he didn't work at a coffee shop that everyone visited and that he didn’t fall in love with every single cute boy that he saw (except for Harry, of course). But also, he’s glad he works here, because he gets to make friends like this.

“What would we do?” He asks, setting his drink down on the counter. “Like, would we just go and hang out?”

“I was thinking maybe going to a bookstore? Like maybe a second hand bookstore if you wanted to?”

“That’d be nice.” Tom says, thinking of his wallet, but he looks up at Will to find the man smiling brightly, that joins his thoughts as well.

“Do you mind if I have your number, so that we can plan it?” Will asks, and Tom pulls out his phone, scrolling through his contacts until he finds what he’s looking for. They trade phones, and when he gets his back, he’s surprised to find the contact name is ‘your bestest friend’. He had expected Will to just put ‘William Schofield’ or even just ‘Will’. He looks up, and Will’s grinning.

“I guess soon enough we’ll be planning this, best friend.” It sounds weird to say, and it clearly sounds weird by the way Will slightly cringes, but he’s also kinda happy to have said it, to get that reaction out of him. “Maybe I’ll even invite you over to my apartment for the first time.”

“Ooh, you tryna drag me into something, Blake?” Will raises an eyebrow, and he shrugs, his smile on his face already betraying his voice.

“Maybe.” He drags out, before finally sliding a straw over beside the drink. Will picks it up, and he smiles at him before moving to his booth, where he can see papers scattered around his laptop.

He sighs, pulling up a stool to sit in as he rests his elbows on the counter and his head on his hands. He’s already got it deep for this man, he can tell. His phone buzzes before he can think any further of that though, and when he pulls it out, he finds its a notification from Will, with just the message _hey ;)_. He grins, and slides across the screen, unlocking his phone. He sends a reply back, and decides right then and there that he’s ready to get used to that.

-

The bookstore is _huge_.

“Woah.” He breathes out from the passenger seat of Will’s car, staring up at the big building. He’s never been to this store before (never even knew it existed), and Will can clearly tell from the way he’s acting, but he just laughs as he drives around the parking lot to find a spot.

“Bigger than you expected?” Will says as he spots one, pulling in as Tom nods. “That’s how I felt the first time I saw it too.”

“How do they have so many books, though? I wish I could own this many!” Tom exclaims, and Will laughs, parking the car.

“Just wait till you see the inside.” He unlocks the car, climbing out as Tom scrambles out of it, patting his pockets to make sure he has his wallet while Will leans back into the car to grab it.

“You ready?” He asks Tom, and he nods, walking around the car to stand beside Will. He waits to hear the click before he starts to walk, already rambling about whatever he deemed necessary, which at the moment, were books.

“How many books do you own?” He asks as they get near the entrance, dodging a few people leaving the store.

“Almost 500, I think?” Will says, sounding unsure of himself.

“Will, that’s so fucking cool.” He grabs a hold of Will’s sweater when someone pushes past him, trying to make sure he wouldn’t lose him now, before they even get inside. “I think I own like 56 and that’s it.”

“How do you read so many books, then? I see you with a new one every week.” Will finally enters the store, Tom standing beside him.

“The library.” He shrugs, "I also steal from Joe a lot." He finally looking around the place. It’s December, in the festive season, so a stack of books make up a Christmas tree near the entrance, paper lines across it to act as Christmas lights. White bits of paper are spread across the shop, as if to imitate snow. And the books. He can see rows stretching out across the store, with a second floor purely for cds and the like, not too far above their head. Soft music plays from the speakers, and he must’ve died and gone to heaven, stuck in this place with Will forever.

“So I presume you like it?” Will finally asks after a moment, and Tom turns towards him, a bright grin on his face.

“This is the best place I’ve ever been to.” Acting on impulse, he hugs the taller man, and he feels his arms wrap back around him tentatively. He pulls back after a moment, the grin still having not left his face. “Thank you so much for taking me here.”

“Oh, you’re welcome.” Will replies, clearly taken aback. “Do you wanna explore on your own and find some books, or do you wanna stick with me and guide you away?”

“Whichever one would cause the least trouble for you.” He replies, and Will smiles at that.

“Guess I’ll be showing you the way.”

As they move through the rows, they speak quietly as if they’re in a library, and not in a bookstore where they can hear at least 30 other people talking, having conversations with one another. But this seems better for them, so they don’t speak loudly, and they quiet when someone else comes near them, and they near someone else.

The first aisle Will shows him is horror, obviously, but by the time they’ve been there for nearly an hour, Tom only has about 3 books while Will has 8. He knows Will doesn’t want to be rude an ask, because he’s just not that type of guy, so he tells him simply that he can’t afford to buy any more.

Will looks sad at that, but Tom tells him that he’s fine. If he really needs something, he can just make Joe get it for him and pay him back later. Will still doesn’t seem pleased, but he’s next in line and having to pay, so Tom hopes he forgets it. Except, he does forget something else.

They’ve climbed into his car, and he’s started it, and Tom’s ready to begin the ride home, when Will smacks his forehead. “I forgot to get a book I need for class.” He’s already looking for his wallet, and he finds it quickly enough, holding it up. “Do you mind if I run back in to grab it?”

“Of course not!” Tom says , unbuckling to lean his back against the door frame. “Just don’t let me freeze to death.”

“I’m keeping the car on, you drama queen.” Will climbs out before Tom can respond, locking the door as he heads back towards the store. Tom yawns a moment later, and since he doesn’t feel like pulling out his phone, he starts a little game for himself, trying to count how many people enter and leave the store before Will returns.

The number’s almost near 50 when Will unlocks the car, putting the bag in the back with everything else.

“What’d you get?” He asks, yawning in the middle of his sentence. He turns back around and buckles up, almost missing Will’s answer. “That’s a really good book. You’re definitely going to enjoy it.”

“Have you read it?” Will asks as he backs up, looking back to make sure he doesn’t hit anyone or anything.

“Course not. I’m a poor bastard. But Joe says it’s good, and I trust Joe.” He leans his head against the window after that, and he doesn’t even remember falling asleep.

It is surprising to wake up in his bed, though, and to find a bag full of books he wanted to get but couldn’t afford to. He groans, a confused noise escaping at the same time, and leans back with a hand resting over his eyes. A knock comes at his door, and when he takes his hand off his head, Joe’s in the doorway, moving before Tom even has a chance to refuse. He’s opening up his curtains, but that isn’t even Tom’s main concern.

“Why do I have these?” He gestures to the bag, and Joe frowns, confused.

“Will dropped them off and said they were yours.” Joe sits down on the bed, and Tom moves his legs to give him more room. “Said that they all were yours, and I didn’t even try to protest.”  
  
“You mind if I call him?” Tom says, and Joe tells him he doesn’t. He leaves the room, though, and shuts the door behind him as Tom leans to grab his phone. It takes a moment for him to find Will, but he presses the call icon and waits.

“Hello?” Will mumbles into the phone, clearly only have just woken up, but Tom only just barely gives him a second to greet himself before he’s speaking.

“Why do I have an entire bag of books I didn’t buy?” The line’s silent while he waits for Will’s answer, for him to give an answer, and he almost thinks Will’s just left his phone somewhere when the man answers.

“Oh, it was because I didn’t like the fact that I got more books than you, and I could tell you had wanted more and just couldn’t get them, so when I had to get a book for class, it was really for me to go back in and get every book you had wanted. And I know you didn’t tell me to get them, but you had looked really happy when you saw them so I just really wanted to get them for you so that you’d be happy.” Will explains quietly, but it’s loud in Tom’s apartment, crushing down the worry in his chest.

“You didn’t have to do that.” He says a moment later, and he can hear Will shrug on the other side of the line.

“Yeah, but I did.” 

“Will…” He starts, but trails off, at a loss of words. What could he even say to Will? Thank him for this? He knows he will do that, eventually, so what else could he say, or do? Start crying and tell him he didn’t have to? Offer to pay him back? Invite him over to hang out? Admit his feelings to him? No, he can’t do that last one, especially since Will doesn’t feel the same way.

“I know, Tom. And no, before you even try to say it, I won’t let you pay me back. I did that because I wanted to, not because I felt bad, alright? You deserved the books. Now you have 66 books.” Will remembers that fact? That little tiny thing he mentioned in passing the other day? Oh, fuck. “I just wanted you to have the books you wanted to have, alright? You deserved them.”  
  
“Thank you, Will. I’m literally about to cry at this.” He laughs, and he hears Will do the same. “Can I at least try to pay you back by hanging out together? Like, maybe we can go hang out at the park soon?”

“I’d like that.” He can hear Will’s smile over the phone, and he doesn’t realize how much _he_ likes that until he feels his heart start to beat faster.

“How about Friday?” He asks, moving to get up out of his bed. He nearly trips over his Waterparks hoodie, and he can hear Will laugh slightly over the line. “Would that work for you?”  
  
“Yeah, definitely.” Will replies, and he can hear him moving on the other side. “Where would you wanna meet up?”

“Maybe at the shop?” He says, rummaging through his closet. “We could get drinks to bring with us while we walked. Charlie probably wouldn’t mind us coming in.”

“Alright.” Will agrees on the other end, and he can just barely hear the scratching of pen on paper. “What time?”

“Maybe 11?”

“Alright.” Will agrees again, and they talk for only a few more minutes before Tom finally ends the call, stepping out of his room and into the hall as he pulls on a shirt. Joe’s already made his coffee for him, with it sitting on the small dresser beside the couch. It’s clearly his, with the fact that Joe’s drinking an almost black cup of coffee at the moment.

“What was the deal?” Joe asks when he sits down, crossing his legs underneath him.

“Oh, he bought books that I had wanted and couldn’t afford without telling me.” He shrugs, pulling out his phone. “He said he wanted me to have more books than I did.”

“Aww, that’s nice.” Joe grins, laughing when Tom shoves him.

“Shut up, you sound like an old grandma who heard that I just got my first boyfriend.” Tom tries to frown, but he can’t even keep it for more than a second.

“So, what’re y’all gonna do?” Joe asks, and Tom makes a face at that.

“You sound country.” 

“Shut up. What are you two gonna do, then?” Joe says, correcting himself for Tom, and he grins.

“Honestly all I know is we’re gonna meet at the coffee shop, and then go walk. Maybe go to the park?” He says to himself, tapping his chin.

“Just gonna plan it as you two walk, huh?” Joe asks, and Tom nods, dropping his phone to reach for the remote. “Game of Thrones?”

“Yeah.” Tom nods, and Joe pumps his fists, Tom laughing at him.

“It’s been like three weeks since we watched it, alright? I’m fucking excited to finally watch it.”

“Alright, alright.” Tom clicks on it, and they start on the second season, both ready to see what happens.

-

“So, Will, what do you like to do when you aren’t hanging around my awesome coffee shop?”

They walk together on the sidewalk, having just left the coffee shop together. Harry was talking to Charlie, so they tried not to linger too much, because even though Tom may be as blind as a bat, he can tell they like each other. It could also be because Charlie told him the other day that he has a crush on Harry, and Harry texted him last night and said that he likes Charlie.

“Well, I usually just write.” Will avoids the cracks, taking care to not step on any of them. “When I’m not writing, though, I’m usually at the shop or at school.”

“Well, what about the other times?” Tom presses, following Will’s steps.

“Watching movies and taking care of my cat.” Will grins, gently pulling Tom out of the way of someone rushing down the street. His coat’s soft, Tom notes absentmindedly. “I watched _Love, Simon_ last night.”

“Oh, I love that movie!” Tom perks up, almost tripping over his own feet. “I think I watched it just the other day.”

“Yeah, I really love that movie.” Will smiles, and Tom swears he’s never seen Will smile this much (other than at the bookstore, of course). “I think I’ve seen 5 times at this point?”  
  
“I wish I could watch something that much.”

Eventually, they end up at the park with their drinks thrown away and ice cream in their hands, ignoring the cold air and Will lightly shivering in his sweater. It’s nice, though, them being the only ones there, sitting at a bench near the fountain. Tom looks at Will, while the man’s looking away (probably at the birds or the sky) and he can’t help but think about the fact that he loves this man, and he doesn’t even know it.

That’s the worst part of this whole situation, he thinks. The fact that here’s a man who he cares for so much, even though they’ve known each other for a few months (he only got his number the other day as well), and he can’t even admit his feelings to him. He could, actually, but he doesn’t want Will to spit in his face and call him a slur. So, he won’t admit it.

But, he does love this man. He knows he keeps repeating those words, keeps saying that sentence, but it’s the fucking truth. He loves this man, and it’s different from the way he loves Harry. He does love Harry, loves him so much that he’d jump off a bridge for him, but he’d jump off a ship and go into space without a mask for Will. Of course, he’d do the same for Joe, but only if he knew he’d live. With Will, he’d do it even if he knew he’d die.

And that’s what sets it apart, right? He’d do those things for Joe and Harry, and not even hesitate, but for Will, you wouldn’t even finish the sentence before he’s diving in to do the task. Doesn’t matter what it is. He’d do it, for him. And that’s a scary thought. The fact he’d do anything for him, but he doesn’t know if Will would do anything for him. He doesn’t even know if Will would draw blood for him. He’d do anything for the man, but for all he knows, Will would do nothing for him.

Except, why’d Will take him to the bookstore? Why’d he come up to the counter and ask when he’s off? Why did he buy all those books for him even though he didn’t have to (or even be asked to)? Why did he agree to hang out today? Will wouldn’t do that if he didn’t care about Tom in some way or form, right?

That calms his heart, somewhat, and he licks his ice cream, staring at the fountain. Will wouldn’t even be out here in the cold with him, a jacket over his sweater as he eats his ice scream, while Tom occasionally glances at him, a smile on his face, if he didn’t like him. If he didn’t like Tom he probably wouldn’t even go to the coffee shop, because Tom’s always there when he is, either reading a book or making something for a customer.

“Are you alright?” Will asks Tom, and he smiles, looking at him.

“Yeah,” He says, almost continuing that with _because I’m with you_ , but he doesn’t. “Just got distracted, that’s all.”

“Don’t get too distracted, because I still wanna take you somewhere.” Will continues to eat his ice cream, and Tom just focuses back on his. It’s dripped onto his pants, but he doesn’t care, wiping it away with a napkin in his hands. He wonders where Will’s gonna take him. Maybe to the store? Or maybe to see a movie. He has no clue, though. Knowing Will, they’ll just head back to the bookstore.

“Where are we going to go?” He asks when he finally finishes his ice cream, wiping himself down with a napkin. He hands some to Will as he gets up, throwing away the dirty ones in a trash can nearby.

“I didn’t know if you wanted to come see my cat or just do something else?” Will offers, standing up to go near Tom. He perks up, staring at Will.

“You have a cat?” He asks, acting like he didn't know this, even though Harry literally mentioned it to him the other day. Will nods, pulling out his phone as they walk back through the park, heading towards the coffee shop.

“Her name’s Marshmallow.” He pulls up a picture, showing it to Tom as they pass under the trees. “Even though she’s a black cat, I thought it suited her.”

“She’s so cute.” Tom turns, smiling up at Will. “Just like her owner.”

Will doesn’t react to that, but Tom can see his face turning pink at the compliment. He decides to be nice, though, and changes the subject, asking if he wants to go get another coffee. Will agrees, and they quickly grab their drinks before getting into Will’s car, parked in front of the shop. Instantly, Green Day blares out of the speakers, and Will scrambles to turn it down, face turning pink as he glances at Tom out of the corner of his eye.

“You like Green Day too?” Tom asks, mouth open, and Will nods, still worried. “Turn that shit up then!” Will grins, turning it up some, but not all the way.

“When we drive, we can let the windows down and turn it up louder.” He explains, and Tom just grins.

He rolls his window down as soon as they reach the highway, the wind whipping his hair around. He’s smiling so hard, but Will pulls out another surprise by pushing the button to let the roof down, nearly scaring Tom. He curses, but Will turns up the music then, and it’s pure paradise right then and there. 

He nearly screams the lyrics as they go down the road, and he can feel Will glancing at him occasionally as he yells the lyrics, laughing and smiling. He’s driving with one hand, the other leaned out the window, sunglasses on his face, and Tom can’t help but think about how hot that is.

The music changes wildly, switching from Green Day to Doja Cat, then going back into the emo music before staying with 5 Seconds of Summer. Tom knows every word, though, yelling them at the top of his lungs. He’s slipped sunglasses on as well, and he imagines him and Will make quiet the sight, screaming lyrics as they zoom by other cars. He laughs at that, and Will looks over at him smiling.

 _I fucking love you_ he nearly shouts out, staring at the man as they pull off the highway, but he doesn’t, only shouting it in his head as he looks at him. He wishes he could grab Will and shout at him, tell him how much he loves him and wishes he knew this, but he can’t, so he settles for telling himself he has to get the best present for him for his birthday.

“I love you.” He whispers, but Will doesn’t hear.

The music turns down as they drive on the slower roads, changing to the sounds of Harry Styles as they drive under the speed limit. Even though it’s 3 in the afternoon, nobody’s around, so they drive slower, trying to stay in the moment. It’s quiet in the country, their music the only sound out here, Tom hopes this isn’t the only time he’ll experience this.

They pull into the lot for Will’s building, climbing out and laughing at each other’s ruffled hair. Will slicks Tom’s down, only to ruffle it back up a moment later. Tom sticks his tongue out at him, before pulling his hoodie down and following him into the building. He slowly quiets as they go up, until they’re standing in front of Will’s door.

“I’m sorry if it’s messy. I forgot to clean up before you came over, and-” Will starts, but Tom grabs his hand that had nervously started to rest on his chest.

“It’s fine, Will. You should see my room.” He grins softly, and Will smiles back, before unlocking the door.

The first thing that Tom notes is that Will’s place is fucking _clean_. The second thing is the cat running towards him, already meowing.

“Hi, sweetheart.” He kneels down, scratching her head. She meows again, and he smiles, scratching harder. He stands up a moment later, her already wrapping her body around his legs. He’s careful to not step on her as he follows Will to his kitchen, where he pulls down some tea.

“I’m sorry it’s kinda dirty.” He starts, but before he can begin his next sentence Tom interrupts him, confusion clear in his voice.

“What do you mean dirty?” Will looks confused at him, almost cocking his head. He looks as if the answer is so very clear and Tom is an idiot for not knowing it.

“There’s a jacket in the floor and books scattered around the room?” He says, and Tom shakes his head, almost laughing at that.

“Will, our definitions of dirty are very, very different.” Will laughs softly at that, shaking his head. Marshmallow meows loudly then, interrupting him before he can speak. She starts back the way she came, heading towards a room further back in the apartment. Will huffs, but Tom can see a smile on his face as he walks behind her. Tom waits in the room, not wanting to go back there when Will hasn’t invited him.

It doesn’t take long before Will returns, Marshmallow not following.

“Had to feed her.” He explains, and Tom nods, not questioning it. “Do you want anything to drink? Tea, coffee, water?”

“I still need to finish my coffee from the shop before I drink anything else.” He holds it up, and Will nods, as if he had forgotten they had stopped there before coming here.

“Want a sandwich? Harry tells me I make a mean ham sandwich.” He laughs, and Tom agrees to one, leaning on the counter as he waits. He follows Will’s movement with his eyes, not bothering to even hide it. Will’s attractive, the glasses pushed up on his head, holding his hair back, and Tom can feel the feeling in his chest much more now, telling him he does love this man. 

“Here you go.” Will hands it to him, and Tom was hungrier than he thought, because when Will’s finished putting everything back, he’s already finished the sandwich, acting like he didn’t just eat something. Will blinks, clearly not expecting it to be gone, but he doesn’t say anything, and instead just goes into the living room. 

Tom follows behind, and they find themselves on the couch, trying to decide on something to watch. Will’s saying Rocketman, and even though Tom loves that movie, he’s saying Call Me By Your Name. If they could’ve, they would’ve fought over the movie choice for the rest of the night, but Tom decides to text Harry, to let him choose, and frowns while Will cheers.

“He just likes you more.” He grumbles, but grinning when Will shoves him. They start the movie, though, and Tom doesn’t complain once the movie’s started. They stay quiet, occasionally saying something if they like the scene, but they don’t talk. Tom does speak louder when he asks where the bathroom is, though, and Will just quietly points it out.

“Thank you.” He whispers, and Will just tells him it’s not a big deal. He walks as quietly as he can to the room, pulling out his phone as soon as he gets in. He needs to watch one of the youtubers he likes, to distract him from the fact he wants to admit his feelings to Will, and so he slides to the floor and leans against the wall, starting Carson’s ‘New Map of America’ video.

He muffles himself from revealing what he’s doing, and when he’s finished the video, he feels better about himself. Feels more confident that he won’t just blurt out an ‘I love you’ in the middle of the movie and ruin their friendship. He flushes the toilet to make it seem as if he actually had to use the bathroom, washing his hands before unlocking the door. He starts on the way back to the living room, but Will’s door is open, and he can’t help but look quickly, wanting to see what he would have.

It looks just like the rest of the apartment, clean and dark. It’s nice, though, with the bed made and books stacked around the room. It’s good, clean, and he almost continues walking until his eyes look up above the bed.

There’s a bisexual flag over the headboard, clear as day in the otherwise dark room. It shines out, as if it wants to tell Tom that the man who he thought was straight, isn’t. He walks back to the living room quietly then, settling back on the couch. They’re silent through the movie, until Tom speaks suddenly, breaking the silence.

“Are you bothered by gay people?”

Will pauses the tv then, staring at Tom. When he speaks, his voice is gentle, soft. “No, I don’t. Why do you ask?”

His eyes tear up, then, and he doesn’t bother to wipe them away. “It’s just,” He stops struggling to let the words come out. “I’m gay.” He whispers, twisting his hands together as he stares down at his lap. The room is silent, except for the sound of them breathing, quiet in the room.

“Tom,” Will says in that way of his, and Tom just breaks. The tears come down harder, and Will moves closer, wrapping him in his arms. He holds him tightly, as if he’s scared that if he doesn’t hold him tight, hold him close, Tom will fall apart and break, unable to be put together again. He buries his face into Will’s shoulder, and Will just rests a hand on the back of his head, as if he’s trying to tell him _i’m here, don’t worry, i won’t let you suffer alone_ and that thought just makes him cry even harder. “I’m here, Tom, I’m here.” Will tells him, nearly whispers it in his ear, and Tom just cries even more, gripping Will back.

They separate either a few minutes or a few hours later (Tom can’t even begin to tell the difference) and he wipes his eyes, staring at the wet patch of Will’s sweater.

“I’m sorry for crying all over you.” He sniffles, wiping his nose with the back of his hand as he stares at the spot dejectedly. Will just smiles at him, shaking his head lightly.

“It’s fine, alright? Don’t worry about it.” He says, giving Tom a look when the boy tries to protest. “I feel like since you came out to me, I should come out as well.”

His heart skips a beat at that, and he looks back up at Will’s face, searching for something to show that he’s lying, but he can’t find anything, only Will’s earnest eyes. He nearly starts crying again, but he holds himself back, just barely getting out a quiet “What?” before he can help himself.

“I’m bisexual.” Will says, and Tom hugs him again, nearly knocking the man off the couch when he almost dives on him. Will grips him back, and they stay that way for a few minutes, until Tom pulls back, staring at Will. His mouth moves faster than his brain, and before he can stop himself, he’s talking.

“I love you.” He says, freezing as soon as he catches up. Will freezes too, and they stare at each other in the silence of the apartment.

“Thank fucking god.” Will sighs out, and he doesn’t have a chance to react before Will’s kissing him.

His lips are soft. That’s all he can note, his eyes closed as he kisses back. He can’t take note of if Will looks as happy as he feels, or if he’s as desperate as he seems. All he can note is that his lips are soft and so is his hand, which has drifted up to rest on his cheek, while Tom’s hand has drifted to rest in Will’s hair, messing it up more than it is.

They pull apart after a moment for air, and his eyes open to stare at Will, a smile on his face. He hasn’t moved his hand yet, and neither has Will, both deciding that they’d keep it there instead of moving them.

“And here I thought I was dropping a good hint when I talked about _Love, Simon_.” Will grins, and Tom huffs out a lugh, leaning forward to rest his forehead on Will’s shoulder. “It took Rocketman for us to admit our love, huh?”

“Elton John would be proud.” Tom says, muffled by Will’s sweater. Will laughs at that, resting his hand in Tom’s hair.

“Very proud.” Will agrees, and they fall silent, basking in the silence. Tom’s falling asleep on Will’s shoulder when Will speaks again, talking to him. “Do you wanna stay the night?”

“Very.” Tom replies, yawning at the end of his sentence. He doesn’t want to, but he pulls away from Will’s shoulder, looking for his phone. “I gotta text Joe before I forget to, so that he doesn’t panic and call the cops on me.”

“Oh, we don’t want that.” Marshmallow’s meows interrupt the silence, and Will leans forward to pick her up, lightly dropping her in his lap. He can hear Will messing with her, speaking to her, but he tries to ignore it while texting Joe (the keyword being tries). He does tell him he just admitted his feelings, though, because he knows Joe will pester him until he tells him.

He can hear Will telling Marshmallow how much of a sweetie she is, and he smiles, setting his phone down on the arm of the couch. It’s cute, really, and he can’t help but watch as she lazily swipes at him. It’s endearing, and he can’t help but think about how he wants to marry this man.

Hopefully, that’ll come true.

**Author's Note:**

> yet again,, my tumblr is @willlamschofield
> 
> this is officially my longest fic ever ayyy
> 
> might write a second part to this but dont hold it against me if i dont


End file.
